U.S. patent application number 13/372156 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-15 for charging station for use in charging electrically powered vehicles.
The applicant listed for this patent is Philip Michael Banker, Heather Ellen Pugliese, Swamy Muddaiah Ranga, Cecil Rivers, JR.. Invention is credited to Philip Michael Banker, Heather Ellen Pugliese, Swamy Muddaiah Ranga, Cecil Rivers, JR..
Application Number | 20130207606 13/372156 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47750443 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130207606 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ranga; Swamy Muddaiah ; et
al. |
August 15, 2013 |
CHARGING STATION FOR USE IN CHARGING ELECTRICALLY POWERED
VEHICLES
Abstract
Charging stations for use in charging an electrically powered
vehicle and related methods are disclosed. One example charging
station includes a housing defining an interior and an opening
configured to permit access to the interior, a door configured to
substantially cover the opening, and a hinge assembly configured to
provide a pivotal movement of the door relative to the housing
between at least a closed position, a first open position, and a
second open position. The hinge assembly includes a base member and
a bracket including a projecting member. The projecting member and
the base member are configured to permit removal of the door from
the housing when the door is in the first open position. The
projecting member and the base member are configured to prevent
removal of the door from the housing when the door is in the second
open position
Inventors: |
Ranga; Swamy Muddaiah;
(Plainville, CT) ; Pugliese; Heather Ellen;
(Amston, CT) ; Rivers, JR.; Cecil; (West Hartford,
CT) ; Banker; Philip Michael; (New Britain,
CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ranga; Swamy Muddaiah
Pugliese; Heather Ellen
Rivers, JR.; Cecil
Banker; Philip Michael |
Plainville
Amston
West Hartford
New Britain |
CT
CT
CT
CT |
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47750443 |
Appl. No.: |
13/372156 |
Filed: |
February 13, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
320/109 ;
29/825 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02T 10/7072 20130101;
B60L 53/31 20190201; Y10T 29/49117 20150115; Y02T 10/70 20130101;
Y02T 90/12 20130101; Y02T 90/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
320/109 ;
29/825 |
International
Class: |
H02J 7/00 20060101
H02J007/00; H01R 43/00 20060101 H01R043/00 |
Claims
1. A charging station for use in charging an electrically powered
vehicle, said charging station comprising: a housing defining an
interior and an opening configured to permit access to the
interior; a door configured to substantially cover the opening; and
a hinge assembly configured to removably couple said door to said
housing and to provide a pivotal movement of said door relative to
said housing between at least a closed position, a first open
position, and a second open position, said hinge assembly
comprising a base member coupled to one of said housing and said
door and a bracket coupled to the other of said housing and said
door, said base member defining an aperture, said bracket including
a projecting member configured to be operably disposed within the
aperture, said projecting member and said base member configured to
permit removal of said door from the housing when said door is in
the first open position, said projecting member and said base
member configured to prevent removal of said door from the housing
when said door is in the second open position.
2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said base member and
said projecting member are disposed within the interior when said
door is in the closed position.
3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said projecting member
includes at least one shoulder configured to contact said base
member to limit extension of said projecting member through the
aperture.
4. The charging station of claim 3, wherein said at least one
shoulder comprises two shoulders on opposite sides of said
bracket.
5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said bracket comprises
a mounting member coupled to said door, that is substantially
parallel with and offset from said projecting member.
6. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said projecting member
comprises a tab having a first portion and a second portion, said
second portion configured to retain said projecting member within
the aperture when said door is in the first open position.
7. The charging station of claim 6, wherein said second portion of
said tab is angled at an obtuse angle with respect to said first
portion of said tab.
8. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising multiple
vehicle charging components at least partially enclosed within the
interior.
9. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising a gasket
coupled to at least one of said housing and said door and
configured to substantially seal the opening when said door is
disposed in the closed position.
10. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said door has a
trapezoidal shape.
11. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising a latching
mechanism coupled to at least one of said housing and said door and
configured to retain said door in the closed position.
12. A charging station for use in charging an electrically powered
vehicle, said charging station comprising: a housing defining an
interior and an opening configured to permit access to said
interior; a door configured to substantially cover said opening;
and a hinge assembly configured to removably couple to said door
and said housing, said hinge assembly configured to provide a
pivotal movement of said door relative to said housing between at
least a closed position and an open position, said hinge assembly
configured to permit removal of said door from said housing when
said door is between the closed position and the open position,
said hinge assembly configured to prevent removal of said door from
said housing when said door is in the open position.
13. The charging station of claim 12, wherein said hinge assembly
comprises a base member having an aperture extending therethrough
and a bracket including a projecting member disposed within the
aperture to provide relative movement between said door and said
housing.
14. The charging station of claim 13, wherein said projecting
member comprises a tab having a first portion and a second portion,
said second portion configured to retain said projecting member
within the aperture when said door is between the closed position
and the open position.
15. The charging station of claim 14, wherein said second portion
of said tab is angled with respect to said first portion of said
tab.
16. The charging station of claim 12, wherein the opening has a
trapezoidal shape.
17. A method for use in operating charging station for an
electrically powered vehicle, the charging station including a
housing defining an opening configured to permit access to an
interior of the housing and a base member positioned within the
interior and adjacent to the opening, said method comprising:
providing a door positioned in a closed position substantially
covering the opening of a housing, a projecting member of a bracket
coupled to the door and positioned within an aperture defined by
the receptacle; rotating the door relative to the housing from the
closed position to a first open position; and extracting a
projecting member coupled to one of the door and the housing from
an aperture of a base member to remove the door from the
housing
18. The method of claim 17, wherein rotating the door relative to
the housing to the first open position includes rotating the door
to define a predetermined angle between the door and a side of the
housing, the predetermined angle being between about 5 degrees and
about 60 degrees
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising releasing latching
mechanism configured to retain the door in the closed position,
prior to rotating the door relative to the housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to
charging stations and methods and, more particularly, to charging
stations having housings and doors pivotally and removably coupled
thereto.
[0002] Electrically powered vehicles, including electric vehicles
and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, include electric motors
powered by energy storage devices, such as batteries. Because an
energy storage device is depleted of energy as the vehicle is
operated, the operator of the vehicle must recharge the energy
storage device prior to using the vehicle again.
[0003] At least some known vehicle charging stations are provided
for use in various environments. Such charging stations are
designed to charge electrically powered vehicles, while providing
security and protection for components utilized in charging the
vehicle. Charging stations include a variety of constructions to
hold up to the environments in which the charging stations are
installed. For example, various known charging stations include
cabinets with one or more doors hingedly attached thereto. Such
doors are generally attached by one or more external piano hinges,
which restrict movement of the door and access to components within
the cabinet. Other known charging stations do not include cabinets
or housings, but instead, are constructed by assembly of sliding
panels and/modules pluggably coupled to one another. Maintenance
and/or service of such charging stations often involve substantial
disassembly of the panels and/or the modules to gain access to
components included therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In one aspect, a charging station for use in charging an
electrically powered vehicle is provided. The charging station
includes a housing defining an interior and an opening configured
to permit access to the interior, a door configured to
substantially cover the opening, and a hinge assembly configured to
removably couple the door to the housing and to provide a pivotal
movement of the door relative to the housing between at least a
closed position, a first open position, and a second open position.
The hinge assembly includes a base member coupled to one of the
housing and the door and a bracket coupled to the other of the
housing and the door. The base member defines an aperture. The
bracket includes a projecting member configured to be operably
disposed within the aperture. The projecting member and the base
member are configured to permit removal of the door from the
housing when the door is in the first open position. The projecting
member and the base member are configured to prevent removal of the
door from the housing when the door is in the second open
position
[0005] In another aspect, a charging station for use in charging an
electrically powered vehicle is provided. The charging station
includes a housing defining an interior and an opening configured
to permit access to the interior, a door configured to
substantially cover the opening, and a hinge assembly configured to
removably couple to the door and the housing. The hinge assembly is
configured to provide a pivotal movement of the door relative to
the housing between at least a closed position and an open
position. The hinge assembly is configured to permit removal of the
door from the housing when the door is between the closed position
and the open position. The hinge assembly is configured to prevent
removal of the door from the housing when the door is in the open
position.
[0006] In yet another aspect, a method for use in operating
charging station for an electrically powered vehicle is provided.
The method includes providing a door positioned in a closed
position substantially covering an opening of a housing of a
charging station for an electrically powered vehicle. A projecting
member of a bracket coupled to the door and positioned within an
aperture defined by a receptacle of the charging station. The
method further includes rotating the door relative to the housing
from the closed position to a first open position, and extracting a
projecting member coupled to one of the door and the housing from
an aperture of a base member to remove the door from the
housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary charging
station.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the charging station of FIG.
1, with a door in a first open position.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the charging station of FIG.
1, with a door in a second open position.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the charging station of FIG.
1, with the door in the closed position.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the charging station of FIG.
1, with the door in a first open position.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the charging station of FIG.
1, with the door in a second open position.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary bracket that
may be included in the charging station of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 6.
[0015] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an exemplary base member
that may be included in the charging station of FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an exemplary method for use in
assembling a charging station for charging an electrically powered
vehicle.
[0017] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary method for use in
operating a charging station for charging an electrically powered
vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The embodiments described herein relate generally to
charging stations for charging electrically powered vehicles. More
specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to charging
stations having housings and doors pivotally and removably coupled
thereto.
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary charging station 10 for use
in charging an electrically powered vehicle (not shown). In the
exemplary embodiment, charging station 10 includes a housing 12. As
shown in FIGS. 2-3, housing 12 has an interior 14. Multiple vehicle
charging components 16 are positioned within interior of housing
12. Vehicle charging components 16 may include, without limitation,
power conduits, transmission lines, power converters, power
conditioners, circuit breakers, switching devices, or other
components used to provide energy transfer from charging station 10
to the electrically powered vehicle. Housing 12 is configured to at
least partially enclose vehicle charging components 16 to protect
such components from various environmental conditions, such as, for
example, weather, debris, insects, and rodents, and/or to inhibit
unauthorized access to vehicle charging components 16.
[0020] Housing 12 includes an opening 18 extending through a side
wall 54 of housing 12, which is usable by a technician to access
interior 14 to provide service to one or more of vehicle charging
components 16. Opening 18 may be configured (e.g., by shape, size,
position) to provide substantial access to vehicle charging
components 16 and/or provide an aesthetic consistency with housing
12. In FIG. 1, for example, opening 18 has a substantially
trapezoidal shape. In other examples, opening 18 may have a
rectangular shape or non-rectangular shape. In the exemplary
embodiment, charging station 10 further includes a door 20
configured to cover opening 18 when disposed in a closed position,
as shown in FIG. 1. Door 20 generally includes a shape and/or size
substantially consistent with, or complimentary to, opening 18. In
the example shown in FIG. 1, door 20 also defines a substantially
trapezoidal shape. In other embodiments, various other shapes
and/or sizes of door 20 may be used to cover or partially cover
opening 18.
[0021] Door 20 is pivotally movable from the closed position to
multiple open positions to permit access to interior 14 through
opening 18, such as, for example, in FIGS. 2-3. Pivotal movement
between door 20 and housing 12 is provided by hinge assembly 22,
which is located within interior 14 when door 20 is in the closed
position. Detailed views of hinge assembly 22 in the closed
position, a first open position, and a second open position are
shown in FIGS. 3-5, respectively. As shown, hinge assembly 22
includes a bracket 24 and a base member 26. In one embodiment,
bracket 24 and base member 26 are coupled to door 20 and housing
12, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 3. Alternatively, in other
embodiments, bracket 24 is coupled to housing 12, while base member
26 is coupled to door 20.
[0022] Bracket 24 includes a projecting member 28 and a mounting
member 30 coupled to projecting member 28, as shown in FIG. 6. In
the exemplary embodiment, projecting member 28 includes two
shoulders 32 and 34 and a tab 36 extending from shoulders 32 and
34. In the exemplary embodiment, mounting member 30 is coupled to
one of door 20 and housing 12. Tab 36 is spaced from mounting
member 30 and includes a first portion 56 and a second portion 58
extending at an angle from first portion 56. In one embodiment, as
shown in FIG. 8, projecting member 28 and mounting member 30 are
generally parallel to each other and are offset from each other (as
indicated by lines 40 and 42). Bracket 24 further includes a first
section 60 extending from projecting member 28 to mounting member
30, and which is angled with respect to both projecting member 28
and mounting member 30. It should be appreciated that various
different shapes, sizes, and/or relative positions of projecting
member 28 and mounting member 30 may be used in other bracket
embodiments.
[0023] Tab 36 is configured to retain projecting member 28 within
an aperture 38 (e.g., a hole, a notch, a slot etc.) within base
member 26 at least when door 20 is disposed in a second open
position. As shown in FIG. 8, second portion 58 is disposed at an
angle 41 relative to first portion 56 of tab 36, as indicated by
lines 42 and 44. In the exemplary embodiment, angle 41 is an obtuse
angle, and more specifically, about 165 degrees. In various
examples, angle 41 may include any angle between about 110 degrees
and about 170 degrees. In other examples, angle 41 is an angle
between about 150 degrees and about 170 degrees. It should be
appreciated that other angles (e.g., obtuse, right, acute, or
others) may also be defined between first portion 56 of tab 36 and
second portion 58 of tab 36 in other embodiments.
[0024] In the exemplary embodiment, aperture 38 is configured to
receive projecting member 28. More specifically, aperture 38 is
sized and/or shaped to receive at least a portion of projecting
member 28, as shown in FIGS. 4-6. Further, base member 26 includes
a mounting member 39 configured to be coupled to housing 12. It
should be appreciated that base member 26 and/or aperture 38 may be
configured otherwise in one or more other embodiments, potentially
depending on the configuration of bracket 24 and/or a mounting
location of base member 26.
[0025] Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, bracket 24 and base
member 26 are constructed from stainless steel to inhibit corrosion
of bracket 24, for example, due to paint peeling off during
closing, opening and removal of the door. In other examples, one or
more other materials may be used to construct bracket 24 and/or
base member 26, provided the material(s) is sufficiently rigid
and/or stiff to perform as described herein.
[0026] In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, charging
station 10 includes a gasket 46 disposed substantially about
opening 18 and coupled to housing 12. Gasket 46 is configured to be
compressed between door 20 and housing 12 to substantially seal
opening 18 when door 20 is disposed in the closed position. In this
manner, gasket 46 cooperates with door 20 and housing 12 to inhibit
the ingress of, for example, weather, debris, insects, and rodents
into housing 12. While gasket 46 is coupled to housing 12 in the
exemplary embodiment, it should be understood that gasket 46 may be
coupled to door 20 in other charging station embodiments. In at
least one embodiment, gasket 46 includes single or multiple
segments, disposed completely or partially about opening 18, with
at least one of the segments mounted on housing 12 and/or at least
one of the segments mounted on door 20. In such an embodiment, the
gasket segments cooperate to substantially seal opening 18.
[0027] Referring again to FIG. 1, charging station 10 includes a
latching mechanism 48 coupled between housing 12 and door 20. In
the exemplary embodiment, latching mechanism 48 is configured to
lock when door 20 is moved to the closed position, to prevent
unauthorized access to charging station 10. Latching mechanism 48
may be keyed and/or operable by a specialized tool to substantially
limit access to only authorized persons. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4,
latching mechanism 48 is coupled to a first end portion 50 of door
20, and bracket 24 is coupled to a bottom section 52 of door 20. In
the exemplary embodiment, first end portion 50 is opposite bottom
section 52. In other embodiments, the relative orientations of
hinge assembly 22 and latching mechanism 48 may be different,
potentially to provide efficient manufacture and/or latching of
latching mechanism 48.
[0028] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary method 100 for use in
assembling charging station 10. While methods herein, including
method 100, are described with reference to charging station 10, it
should be appreciated that the methods herein are not limited to
charging station 10 and may be used with other charging station
embodiments. Similarly, charging station 10 should not be
understood to be limited to the methods described with reference to
FIGS. 10 and 11.
[0029] Method 100 includes positioning 102 a door, such as door 20
shown in FIG. 2, proximate to an opening, such as opening 18 of
FIG. 2, and inserting 104 a projecting member, such as projecting
member 28 of FIG. 4, into an aperture of a base member, such as
base member 26 of FIG. 4. In the exemplary embodiment, inserting
104 the projecting member includes inserting the projecting member
into the aperture until shoulders, such as shoulders 32 and 34 of
FIG. 4, contact the base member. Communication between the
projecting member and the base member prevent removal of the door
in at least one open position. Upon insertion of the projecting
member, method 100 includes rotating 106 the door relative to the
housing into the closed position (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4) to
substantially cover the opening of the housing.
[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, because the hinge assembly is
operable by inserting 104 the projecting member into the aperture,
no fasteners are required to couple the door to the housing. As
such, the door is removable without tools by rotating the door and
sliding the projecting member, specifically a tab, such as tab 36
shown in FIG. 8, out of the base member. In this manner, a
technician is permitted to remove the door and to access the
interior of the housing, without the door at least partially
impeding the opening. Accordingly, given configuration, size,
and/or shape constraints often associated with charging station 10,
a technician is provided with improved access to vehicle charging
components within the housing, as compared to known charging
stations with non-removable doors.
[0031] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, projecting member
28 permits door 20 to rotate relative to base member 26. At least
partially due to tab 36 and the configuration of aperture 38,
projecting member 28 prevents removal of door 20 from housing 12
when door 20 is positioned relative to housing 12 at one or more
angles. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, door 20 is positioned at
the first open position relative to housing 12 (also shown in FIG.
2), such that a technician is able to slide projecting member 28
from aperture 38 by applying a force inline with door 20 and away
from housing 12. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 6, when door 20 is
positioned at the second open position (also shown in FIG. 3),
projecting member 28 and/or tab 36 contact base member 26 in
response to the force described with reference to FIG. 4. In this
embodiment, the contact prevents removal of projecting member 28
from within aperture 38, thereby preventing removal of door 20.
[0032] It should be appreciated that a threshold open position (not
shown) exists between the first open position and the second open
position, at which projecting member 28 transitions from permitting
or preventing removal of door 20. More specifically, in the
exemplary embodiment, when door 20 is between the closed position
(shown in FIG. 1) and the threshold open position, hinge assembly
22 permits removal of door 20. Further, when door 20 is in the
threshold open position or an open position beyond the threshold
open position, hinge assembly 22 prevents removal of door 20. In
other embodiments, threshold open positions can exist at various
positions, in order to define various angles between door 20 and
housing 12, at which door 20 is permitted or prevented from being
removed. For example, if door 20 hinged from its top (rather than
its bottom as shown in FIG. 2), hinge assembly 22 may be configured
prevent removal between the closed position and the threshold open
position, and permit removal at or beyond the threshold open
position. In still other embodiments, hinge assembly 22 is
configured to provide multiple threshold open positions.
[0033] In the exemplary embodiment, the first open position may be
defined when door 20 is positioned at a predetermined angle
relative to side wall 54 of housing 12, as shown in FIG. 2. The
predetermined angle associated with the first position, for
example, may be between about 5 degrees and about 30 degrees, as
shown in FIG. 5. It should be appreciated that various
predetermined angles between door 20 and side wall 54 of housing 12
may be defined at which door 20 is removable. For example, a range
of angles for the first open position may be defined by the effects
of gravity on door 20. Hinge assembly 22, for example, is disposed
at the lower portion of door 20 as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly,
when unlatched, gravity biases door 20 into a fully opened
position, for example, the second open position illustrated in FIG.
6. If door 20 is retained in the second open position by tab 36 and
base member 26, door 20 is restrained from being removed. Because
gravity biases door 20 out of the first open position (as shown in
FIG. 5) and into the second position, the potential for
unintentional removal of door 20 may be reduced.
[0034] It should be appreciated that hinge assembly 22 may be
oriented and/or positioned at various locations between door 20 and
housing 12, to potentially inhibit unintentional removal of door
20, assist in removal of door 20, and/or other reasons related to
the appearance, operation, and/or manufacture of other charging
station embodiments.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, when door 20 is disposed in the closed
position, bracket 24 and base member 26 are disposed within
interior 14. Moreover, door 20 is disposed within opening 18 and/or
interior 14. In this manner, charging station 10 provides improved
resistance to unauthorized access, as compared to known charging
stations with one or more hinges external to the charging station.
Furthermore, by providing hinge assembly 22 within interior 14 when
door 20 is disposed in the closed position, door 20 is capable of
providing access to interior 14, while accommodating a variety of
differently shaped doors and without substantially impacting the
aesthetic appearance of charging station 10.
[0036] FIG. 11 illustrates method 110 for use in operating charging
station 10 for an electrically powered vehicle. Method 110 includes
providing 112 a door, such as door 20 of FIG. 1, positioned in a
closed position substantially covering an opening of a housing,
such as housing 12 of FIG. 1, rotating 114 the door relative to the
housing from the closed position to a first open position, and
extracting 116 a projecting member, such as projecting member 28 of
FIG. 2, from an aperture of a base member, such as base member 26
of FIG. 4, to remove the door from the housing.
[0037] In at least one embodiment, rotating 114 the door relative
to the housing to the first open position includes rotating the
door to define a predetermined angle between the door and a side of
the housing. The predetermined angle may be, for example, between
about 5 degrees and about 60 degrees. Additionally, or
alternatively, method 110 may include releasing latching mechanism,
such as latching mechanism 48 of FIG. 1, configured to retain the
door in the closed position, prior to rotating the door relative to
the housing.
[0038] This written description uses examples to disclose the
invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person
skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and
using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated
methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the
claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled
in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope
of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ
from the literal language of the claims, or if they include
equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from
the literal languages of the claims.
* * * * *